Applying For Planning Permission

It is unlikely that you will require planning permission for your loft conversion as the planning regulations need only to be considered in a very few cases when the proposed project falls outside the criteria of permitted development under The Town and Country (General Permitted Development) Order (1995).

Before making an application for planning approval ensure you discuss
your plans fully with the local councils planning authority and its
building control office.

They will be able to tell you if similar applications have been made
in the past and the results of those applications.

Knowing that every
previous planning application made in your area has been refused could
save you plenty of time and trouble!

Submitting a Householder Application form, available from the local
authority, is a quick process but the homeowner must ensure that the
answers are complete and factual.

There is also some extra paperwork, e.g., drawings, which must
accompany the application, the first of which is, unsurprisingly, proof
of ownership of the property.

Something to note here is that if the property is semi-detached or terraced, than there will be a Party Wall which the householder must declare as not being fully owned by himself.

A plan of the immediate area in which the property is located
must also be included (usually 1:2500 scale) with the property owned by
the applicant clearly marked. A larger scaled, and more detailed, map
of the property site and its immediate environs must also be included.

A vitally important part of applying for planning permission is
the drawings showing the floor plans and elevations of the current
property and the proposed development.

Drawn to a maximum scale of 1:100 the plans should clearly
distinguish between proposed developments and those already in place and
should detail both internal and external aspects. A separate drawing
should be submitted for each floor of the property.

When the local authority receives the completed Householder
Application form and drawings it will decide the outcome of the
application within eight weeks. Approval will be granted if all the regulations are complied with.

Once the application is approved, and subject to any recommended
improvements, planning permission will be granted and will remain in
force for a period of three years.

Now, just in case you are thinking that this all sounds a bit
long-winded and a hassle and what would it hurt to just ignore the
planning rules - read this real life and very sobering story;

Why You Must Follow The Rules

A Coventry couple who did not have the correct planning
permission were left facing a bill of £26000 when their local council
took them to court.

Beryl and Bob Adkins hired a contractor to build the extension to
their roof space leaving it to the builder to complete the paperwork
and to go through the process of applying for planning permission.

Unfortunately, the contractor built the conversion without obtaining the correct planning consent.

The work contravened the building regulations and Coventry City Council took the Adkins to court.

Result? The court ordered that the £14,000 loft conversion must
be demolished leaving the Adkins also facing a demolition bill of a
further £12,000.

Now, you may think that is harsh but the reality is that even if
you employ a builder to cover all the angles, i.e., not only build the
project but also to ensure that the regulations are followed it is still
YOUR responsibility to make sure the work is done correctly and that
all the regulations, including applying for planning permission, are complied with.

There is no excuse for failing to do this. You must keep a tight
reign on the project and your builders. And, if your builder tells you
he has obtained the correct approval from the council, demand to see the
paperwork.

Elsewhere on this site we have stressed the importance of complying with the building regs and planning permission laws.

By not doing so either because of a desire to save time, money or
hassle will only result in you being hit where it hurts - in the
wallet!